The British Army has used artificial intelligence (AI) as part of an operation for the first time.

Soldiers from the 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade deployed an AI engine during Exercise Spring Storm in Estonia. The AI provided them with information on the surrounding environment and terrain.

The engine’s ability to automate analytics meant it could rapidly process masses of complex data. By providing efficient information regarding the environment and terrain, it enabled the Army to plan its appropriate activity and outputs.

During the annual large-scale NATO exercise, soldiers from France, Denmark, Belgium, Estonia, and the UK used the technology whilst carrying out live-fire drills.

Operation Cabrit is the British Army’s deployment to Estonia where UK troops are leading a multinational battlegroup as part of the enhanced Forward Presence.

According to the Army’s Director of Information, Major General John Cole: “The deployment was a first of its kind for the Army. It built on close collaboration between the MOD and industry partners that developed AI specifically designed for the way the Army is trained to operate.

“The lessons this has provided are considerable, not just in terms of our support to deployed forces, but more broadly in how we inform Defence’s digital transformation agenda and the best practices we must adopt to integrate and exploit leading-edge technologies.

“This AI capability, which can be hosted in the cloud or operate in independent mode, saved significant time and effort, providing soldiers with instant planning support and enhancing command and control processes.”

Last November, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the Department of Defence would receive increased funding of over £24 billion across the next four years. This would help the department develop its ability to adapt to meet future threats.

Further outlined in the Defence Command Paper, the MOD intends to invest £6.6 billion over the next four years in defence research and development, focusing on emerging technologies in artificial intelligence, AI-enabled autonomous systems, cyber, space and directed energy systems.

In addition, 20th Armoured Infantry Brigade and user of the AI, Major James Mcevoy, said: “This was a fantastic opportunity to use a new and innovative piece of technology in a deployed environment.

“The kit was shown to outperform our expectations and has clear applications for improving our level of analysis and speed at which we conduct our planning. I’m greatly looking forward to further opportunities to work with this.

“In future, the UK armed forces will increasingly use AI to predict adversaries’ behaviour, perform reconnaissance and relay real-time intelligence from the battlefield.”

AI has already been incorporated in several key military initiatives by the British Army, including the Future Combat Air System, and is the focus of several innovative funding programmes through the Defence and Security Accelerator.

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The role of AI in the military has been under a spotlight recently. Earlier this year, a US Government report called for increased use of AI, including by the country’s armed forces, to maintain its technological and military lead, especially as China develops.

However, this comes amid growing concerns over the use of AI by armed forces – the Human Rights Watch published a report last year calling for a ban on the use of autonomous weapon systems that can kill without human oversight.

Israel, in what is believed to be a world first, was revealed this week to have used to autonomous drone swarm in a combat operation.